How Burmese Pythons affect the Everglades

Maverick Grant

Mr. Felt

English 8

15 May 2019

Burmese Pythons are affecting the everglades negatively because People are letting their pet burmese pythons go in the wild of Florida. They are a threat to Florida’s ecosystem, and are quickly driving out native species which is why Florida residents must make precautions on how to stop this rapidly growing animal from destroying the Everglades.

Some may be wondering, what is a Burmese Python and how did they invade Florida’s Everglades. The Burmese Python is one of the three largest snakes in the world, it can grow up to 23 feet long and are native to Southeast Asia. Many people assume this animal to be a great pet because of the beautiful patterns and small size that they start out as. As Matt Piven wrote in his article, Burmese Python: Not the Ideal Pet he said “Many people have chosen these unusual reptiles as pets, most likely because of the snakes’ beautifully patterned skin, their rapid growth rate, and their generally docile disposition. Unfortunately, many of these owners, upon discovering that they had more snake than they could handle, have resorted to the worst possible solution and released the snakes back into the wild.” (Piven 44) But these animals will begin to grow at a rapid rate and soon will become too big for the owner, who often make the decision to let them go into the wild. Since the Burmese Python comes from a tropical part of Asia they can adapt well to Florida’s warm tropical climate. There, in the pristine biodiversity of the Everglades, the Burmese Python has no natural predators and is able to feast on many of the animals there.

The Everglades is a national park located in Everglades Florida. It is home to a variety of different species, such as numerous reptiles, mammals, birds, amphibians, and even some fish. The Everglades are made of up several million acres of water and consist mostly of mangroves and saw grass. As said by the NPS (National Park Service) the Everglades are especially significant because it is the only place on Earth where both crocodiles and alligators live side by side. It is also home to an extremely endangered species, the Florida Panther. The Florida Panther is one of the rare mammals on Earth with fewer than one hundred remaining in the wild. The NPS (National Park Service) explains the status of the Florida Panther. “ Once common throughout the southeastern United States, fewer than 100 Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) are estimated to live in the wilds of south Florida today.” (Florida Panther: Species Profile) There are many other endangered and not endangered species that are threatened by the Burmese Python like the American crocodile, American alligator, nine banded armadillo, Key Largo Woodrat, Whitetail deer, raccoons, rabbits, bats, and various endangered bird species.

The Burmese Python has caused many issues throughout the Everglades and some still wonder if Florida residents have learned their lesson. So how did scientific knowledge about the Burmese Python in the Everglades change over time. Knowledge of the Burmese Python has changed dramatically since the moment they were released into the Everglades. Most humans thinking carelessly thought releasing this magnificent, but deadly creature would not affect the environment at all but that all changed. “A growing population of Burmese pythons, many pets turned loose by their owners when they came to big is threatening the ecosystem of the Florida Everglades.” (Ng 45) Just like what Andrew Ng said, as some time went on, it became noticeable that the Burmese Python was driving out native species.

Nearly 2,000 pythons have been removed from Florida’s Everglade National Park but that is only a fraction of the snakes in the park. As the NPS (National Park service) said, “ More than 2,000 pythons have been removed from the park and surrounding areas since 2002, likely representing only a fraction of the total population.” (NPS Burmese Pythons) Burmese Pythons are a real complication in Florida. They are disturbing Florida’s ecosystem and are driving out native species. Precuastions and extra safety measures must be made to preserve the Everglades natural, bio diverse, pristine ecosystem.